Dwarf Fortress: Prisoners of War

Our first order of business was to escort our goblin prisoner to a proper prison area. The dwarves carved out a holding room and stocked it with nothing but chains fastened to the floor. Our chief medical dwarf informed me that vile creatures such as goblins require no nourishment and would require no additional facilities. Such prisoners were damned to an eternity of imprisonment; or, at the very least until we decide to make them fight in glorious gladiatorial combat. While we were moving the prisoner she attempted to escape from the fortress. A small brawl broke out and the goblin managed to make a run for the exit. Luckily, the path was laden with more cage traps. We recaptured the goblin and moved her to the prison. Over the next few seasons me manage to capture another goblin, a minotaur (who killed two dwarves before being captured), and a rowdy duck.

Top: Summoning the Order-Trumpets to move the goblin prisoner. Bottom: Our collection of prisoners chained to the floor.

Meanwhile, the goblins again tried to attack the mountainhome caravan! This time we were armed to the teeth with iron and brass and brought the fight to them. We triumphed easily without suffering any casualties.

Left: Our mountainhome brothers' caravan under attack! Right: The Order-Trumpets dispatching switch justice.

We expanded our above ground complex to facilitate a safe way for the dwarves to dump all their dead camels who couldn't acclimatize to underground life. The dwarves dug out a lowered section and irrigated the area with water. We went to work planting a variety of berries and roots which could only be grown in the awful sunlight. Lastly, we constructed a number of noble rooms and, like any successful organization, began to balloon our administration at the expense of the fortress' overall well being and happiness of its members.

Left: The above ground complex completely walled. Our new farms are sunken in the bottom corner. Top-Right: Showcasing our new berry farms. Bottom-Right: Construction of noble rooms.

Ending Year: 254

Dwarf Fortress: Goblin Attacks!

We were besieged! The pesky goblin child-snatchers had made their way back to their breeding hole and mustered enough forces to attack our fortress! We ordered all dwarves inside the fortress and the Order-Trumpets armed themselves and waited bravely for the onslaught to arrive. Each and every dwarf was prepared to give his life slaying fourfold as many goblins. However, the goblins refused to make an assault and our dwarves wouldn't leave the fortress undefended.

We were at a standstill. The dwarves hastily constructed a plethora of cage traps at the entrance of the fortress. Still, the goblins refused to attack. Little did they know that they'd never starve dwarves out from their own fortress! With our traps constructed, the dwarves attempted to lure the goblins forward by sending a brave dwarf to taunt them forward. The poor lad was foolhardy and refused to turn back towards the fortress after gaining the goblins attention. He charged alone into twenty goblins and died a brave dwarf. The seasons passed and the goblins still refused to attack. They eventually dispersed and we collected the body of our departed brother.

Left: The foolhardy dwarf attacks twenty goblins. Top-Right: The goblins group outside the fortress. Bottom-Left: Our cage traps prepared at the entrance.

When we finally emerged from the fortress we discovered the caravan from the mountainhomes was destroyed and the dwarves driving it slaughtered. We attempted to collect their corpses but were ambushed by more vile goblins! Do they have no shame? Can a dwarf not bury his fallen kinsdwarves? The Order-Trumpets were enraged and summoned to the fields. They charged steadfast into the hellspawn creatures and gutted them with intense hatred. The goblins fled and we counted the pieces of three miserable goblins and one brave dwarf. We collected his corpse and ordered the construction of memorials in honour of those who had fallen in the goblin assault.

Top-Left: The destroyed caravan. Top-Right: The goblin ambushers. Bottom-Left:Battle! Bottom-Right: The battlefield after the goblins were dispatched.

We requisitioned the goods on board the destroyed dwarven caravan and stocked our fortress full of new goodies. The dwarves gathered the iron helmets and breastplates of the goblin invaders, boiled the flesh from it, and upgraded their own armours. The Order-Trumpets were now mostly equipped in full iron armour. A staunch improvement from flimsy copper.

Top: Outside complex construction. Bottom-Left: A captured goblin chained to the floor. Bottom-Right: A dwarf completes his masterful construction.

We went to work improving our facilities. The dwarves were growing tired of eating only Plump Helmets and Plump Helmet ale. We began construction on a walled upper complex which would support above ground farms irrigated by the brook during the warmer months. We would connect the complex to our fortress with an underground tunnel.

We had two fortunate events happen to us. Firstly, we manage to cage a goblin thief attempting to snatch our children. He was stripped of any valuables and chained to the floor in a newly created chamber. The dwarves have yet to decide his fate, but many dwarves plan revenge for their fallen comrades. Lastly, one of our farmers managed to escape from his temporary insanity! In a moment of clarity, he crafted a legendary ring and returned to his otherwise normal existence.

Dwarf Fortress: The Barracks of the Order-Trumpets

Expanded rooms in the south.

We were required to expand our fortress again after multiple waves of migrants wanting to join our dwarven paradise. The dwarves also needed to slay and bury their fisherdwarf kin after a series of the poor, unfortunate souls went insane. Perhaps there's something hiding in the brook? A cemetery was carved out near the entrance and a handful of dwarves, who's corpses were lying about, were buried there.

Completed hospital (left), well room (middle), pump room (upper right), and cloth storage (lower right).

The goblin thieves were attempting to enter our fortress more and more frequently. The dwarves requisitioned the old farmland near the entrance of the fortress and converted the area into a barracks and training ground. The Barricaded Order-Trumpets were created, staffed with five of our bravest dwarves, and stationed in the barracks. While unable to catch and slay any goblin intruders (due to short dwarven legs), the Order-Trumpets successfully chased away a couple of goblin would-be thieves and celebrated with a round of beer. We later managed to trade our dwarven liaison for some weapons and scraps of armour.

The Barracks of the Order-Trumpets (upper left).

We completed the construction of our hospital and wells. This allowed us to finally provide healthcare to the dwarf who was stuck in a hospital bed for over year due smashed third finger on his left hand. The injury was a result of restraining a possessed fisherdwarf before being served swift justice at the hands of our militia. His injuries were grave, but our team of qualified professionals managed to patch him back together. He's now a living legend in these dwarven halls.

Showcasing the new workshops (south).

Ending Date: Granite 253

Dwarf Fortress: Reservoir and Werebuffalo Child

Winter was on it's way and the caravan from the mountainhomes would be arriving in a matter of months. We had nothing but rocks to trade. The dwarves constructed a jeweler's workshop and began to cut the rough gems we had found digging out the fortress. Our goal to was trade gems for metal. Shiny pebbles for hammers and axes.

The main floor of the fortress. A hospital, well area, and pump control room have been added in the east.

We doubled our bedrooms and carved out a lower floor for the kitchen and proper workshops. Another priority was moving farming and water deep underground. This involved flooding a room with water and placing wells on the floor above. We carved out a reservoir which would be refilled by the brook during the warmer months. The dwarves would have to cross their fingers and hope that the water supply would last through the winter. This safe source of water could be used by the dwarves when the beer taps run dry and would be positioned near a future hospital. A series of floodgates were added to prevent the entire fortress from being flooded in the event of an emergency.

The lower floor of the fortress. A kitchen area, underground farm, and reservoir have been constructed. The checkerboard pattern at the reservoir's source reduces the water pressure and prevents our entire fortress from being flooded.

The caravan from Obururdim arrived as expected. The mountainhome dwarves had carried little metal with them. We assumed they were robbed while delivering the metal. We managed to negotiate for an anvil and a couple of metallic weapons. We requested for next year from our liason that they bring more metal than any would-be criminals could carry away with them.

It wasn't all good news. We spotted a kobold trying to sneak into the fortress, but he was chased away by a handful of rowdy dwarves. We later found a kobold corpse outside the fortress. I'm told it's only a coincidence. Still, it would be best if the kobold didn't inform his other vermin friends of our fortress' location. We also had a plesent visit from Zuglar Morullotol, the child werebuffalo, and we learned why we fear the night. Our fear was short-lived, however, as the unspeakable monster transformed back into a harmless child before he could massacre our entire near defenseless fortress. Glory to us!

Shortly after the dwarves locked themselves in the fortress, an elven caravan arrived outside. In true elven fashion, they brought with them hardly anything of value. We traded the elves gems for cloth and berries. They brought no metal. Is it any surprise?

Dwarf Fortress: The Journey to Melbilrab

The Journey to Melbilrab

The World of Exsmoxslozgo

"The Future Universe"

The World of Exsmoxslozgo

We embarked on The Swamp of Walks, north of The Biles of Sludge, towards Melbilrab, the site of our future dwarven fortress. The area was cold, untamed, and far from any proper civilizations. Arriving at the site of the fortress, the dwarves spotted exposed marble on surface and discovered much of the water was frozen. The western portion of the embark site was completely covered with snow. The marble would make for magnificent statues of dwarven heroes, but the snow would likely remain entirely useless.

The embark site.

Since we expected our source of water to be unreliable, the dwarves carved their way into the hillside and built temporary farms of plump helmets. The farms would suffice for the short term and would provide the fortress with our necessary dwarven beer. We dug down into the mountain and began to carve out our great hall. The dwarves constructed a number of workshops inside the open space and began to stockpile our resources nearby.

The entrance to our fortress.

A number of migrants arrive while we were in the process of establishing ourselves. Our population doubled in only a matter of months. We had no rooms for the dwarven migrants, so handful of communal beds were placed in our great hall for our sleepy dwarven friends. Nonetheless, we put these migrants to work right away. They assisted in hauling our resources underground and then came inside to avoid the awful sunlight and cold temperatures of the overworld.

The Great Hall

Autumn arrived and the dwarves put a door on the front of the fortress to keep the draft out. The ravenous wolverine men were also a minor concern and would now have to at least knock before entering. A temporary trading depot was hastily constructed outside the fortress to accept the caravans of our friends from the mountainhomes. We were without metal ore or an anvil and trading for such resources would be a top priority. A dwarf with no metal between him and his goblin invaders is a dead one.